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Port Arthur, Texas
}} |subdivision_type1 = State |subdivision_name1 = |subdivision_type2 = Counties |subdivision_name2 = Jefferson |government_footnotes = |government_type = Council-Manager |leader_title = City Council |leader_name = Mayor Deloris "Bobbie" Prince Robert Troy Elizabeth "Liz" Segler Morris Albright III Willie "Bae" Lewis Jr. Raymond Scott Jr. Robert E. Williamson Derrick Freeman Kerry "Twin" Thomas |leader_title1 = City Manager |leader_name1 = Floyd T. Johnson |established_title = |established_date = |website = PortArthur.net |unit_pref = Imperial |area_footnotes = |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = 372.3 |area_land_km2 = 214.8 |area_water_km2 = 157.6 |area_total_sq_mi = 143.8 |area_land_sq_mi = 82.9 |area_water_sq_mi = 60.8 |population_as_of = 2000 |population_footnotes = |population_total = 57755 |population_density_km2 = 268.9 |population_density_sq_mi = 696.5 |timezone = Central (CST) |utc_offset = -6 |timezone_DST = CDT |utc_offset_DST = -5 |elevation_footnotes = |elevation_m = 2 |elevation_ft = 7 |coordinates_display = inline,title |coordinates_type = region:US_type:city |latd = 29 |latm = 53 |lats = 6 |latNS = N |longd = 93 |longm = 56 |longs = 24 |longEW = W |postal_code_type = ZIP codes |postal_code = 77640-77643 |area_code = 409 |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = 48-58820 |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 1384151 |footnotes = }} Port Arthur is a city in Jefferson County within the Beaumont−Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area of the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 53,818 at the 2010 census. Port Arthur was founded by Arthur Stilwell in 1895, on the western bank of Sabine Lake, and incorporated in 1898.Port Arthur incorporates- Retrieved 2013-09-10 The Rainbow Bridge across the Neches River connects Port Arthur to Bridge City. History Aurora was located near the mouth of Taylor Bayou on Sabine Lake, at the site of present-day Port Arthur. The town was conceived as early as 1837, and by 1840 promoters led by Almanzon Huston were advertising town lots. Although some lots were sold, Houston's project failed to materialize. The area came to be known as Sparks after John Sparks and his family moved to the shores of Sabine Lake near the Aurora townsite. The Eastern Texas Railroad, completed between Sabine Pass and Beaumont just before the outbreak of the Civil War, passed about four miles west of Sparks. The railroad passing track at this point was named Aurora after the Houston project. The rails were removed during the Civil War. A few scattered settlers remained until 1886, when a destructive hurricane led residents to dismantle their homes and move to Beaumont. By 1895, Aurora was a ghost town, and the abandoned community became the site of Stilwell's new city. Port Arthur was incorporated in 1898, and was once the center of the largest oil refinery network in the world.Hunt, Herschiel. The History of Port Arthur. Southern Publishing Concern, 1926. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway runs past the city, separated from Sabine Lake by Pleasure Island. The man-made island was created from dredged material from 1899 and 1908 Corps of Engineers projects. Port Arthur Channel and Dock Company, formed by Arthur Stilwell, opened the port of Port Arthur with the arrival of the British steamer Saint Oswald in 1899. This same ship sank after colliding with the French battleship Suffren in 1915. Geography Port Arthur is located at (29.884864, −93.939902) east of Houston. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 143.8 square miles (372.3 km²), of which, 82.9 square miles (214.8 km²) of it is land and 60.8 square miles (157.6 km²) of it (42.32%) is water. Communities Communities in Port Arthur include: * EL Vista * Griffing Park * Lakeview * Pear Ridge * Port Acres * Sabine Pass * Deep East * East Side Climate Port Arthur is tied with Lake Charles, Louisiana and Astoria, Oregon, as the most humid city in the contiguous United States. The average relative humidity is 90% in the morning, and 72% in the afternoon. HKO (sun only, 1961−1990) The Weather Channel (record temperatures) |date= November 2011 }} Demographics As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile (268.9/km²). There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile (115.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 43.70% African American, 39.01% White, 0.45% Native American, 5.89% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 8.88% from other races, and 2.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.45% of the population. There were 21,839 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 19.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.25. In the city the population had 28.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,455, and the median income for a family was $32,143. Males had a median income of $30,915 versus $21,063 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,183. About 22.9% of families and 25.2% of the population were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 35.2% were under age 18 and 14.4% were age 65 or over. Economy After decades of stagnation and neglect in the area economy, Port Arthur is in the early stages of an economic boom. Several large projects involving the energy infrastructure are underway or proposed, the two largest being the Golden Pass and Sabine Pass LNG terminals. These separate projects under construction in neighboring Sabine Pass have brought cumulative initial investments of $2 billion, and will employ thousands at peak construction. Home to a large portion of United States refining capacity, Port Arthur is now seeing renewed investment in several key installations. Motiva Enterprises is undertaking a major addition to its western Port Arthur refinery, expanding capacity to .The Economy of Southeast Texas Home Page This $10.0 billion project is the largest US refinery expansion to occur in 30 years. Premcor Refining (now Valero) recently completed a $775 million expansion of its petrochemical plant, and BASF/Fina commenced operations of a new $1.75 billion gasification and cogeneration unit on premises of its current installation, which had just completed its own $1 billion upgrade. These operations are supported by the Port of Port Arthur, one of Texas' leading seaports. However, during and at the finalization of these multibillion dollar projects, Port Arthur still suffers from one of the highest unemployment rates in the state. The city was the site of an oil spill in 2010, when an oil tanker and barge collided, causing 450,000 gallons of oil to spill into the Sabine/Neches waterway alongside the city. Central business district disintegration Long past its heyday in the early 1900s, beginning in 1960, until 1974,"Retirement and Looking Back to "the Way it Was" (economic tailspin)- Retrieved 2013-09-10 successive waves of economic recession have delivered a nearly vacant, boarded up, and sometimes dangerous central business district. Hotel Sabine The Hotel Sabine opened at 600 Proctor Street in 1929 and operated as the Vaughn Hotel until the mid-1930s. At 118 feet, ten stories, and the tallest building in Port Arthur,Sabine Hotel- Retrieved 2013-09-10 the building is of Beaux-Arts architecture style, built with steel-reinforced concrete and brick on 640 steel-laced wooden cypress pilings driven 60-foot into the ground, with the promise that it could withstand the most severe coastal storms.The Port Arthur News; Hotel Sabine foundation The hotel closed down in the mid-1980s. The Port Arthur News reported August 28, 2010, that DWA (Digital Workforce Academy) Buys Sabine Hotel,News report; DWA buys Sabine Hotel- Retrieved 2013-09-10 but on Nov 11, 2011, My Fox Houston reported, Notable Port Arthur Hotel Could Meet its Demise, with discussions on bids for demolition. The cost of renovations are placed around $10– 12,000,000 dollars and demolition estimates may be between $500,000 to 1.2 million.Port Arthur hotel could meet its doom- Retrieved 2013-09-10 Hurricane Rita struck a direct hit on the Proctor Street Seawall, and damaged many downtown businesses and homes. As economic activity picks up in the region, calls for downtown revitalization have been advanced.Sanders, Ashley. "Plant expansions to create a housing boon." The News. August 21, 2006. Retrieved on September 23, 2010.Rappleye, Christine. "The Beaumont Enterprise - Those who recall bustling downtown Port Arthur are still around; old way of life isn't." The Beaumont Enterprise. September 23, 2007. Posted June 11, 2008. Retrieved on September 23, 2010. The true center of commercial activity has gravitated from downtown to other areas.Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities- Retrieved 2013-09-10 Arts and culture Port Arthur's Museum of the Gulf Coast is recognized as the area's definitive collection of items and displays for personalities from Port Arthur and the surrounding communities. Notable residents of Port Arthur included singer Janis Joplin, golfer/track star Babe Didrikson Zaharias, born in Port Arthur but raised in Beaumont, Rapper Earnest Heron, casting director/producer Whitney Valcin, artist Robert Rauschenberg, and former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, professional athletes Stephen Jackson of the San Antonio Spurs, Kendrick Perkins of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs. In the last two decades, Port Arthur's profile has risen on the hip-hop scene with the emergence of rap duo UGK. Both members, Bun B and the late Pimp C, are from Port Arthur and often refer to their hometown in their songs. The main shopping center is Central Mall, opened in 1982. Government The Mayor of Port Arthur is Deloris "Bobbie" Prince. The county operates the Port Arthur Sub-Courthouse in Port Arthur."Jefferson County, Texas Phone Director." County of Jefferson. Retrieved on August 22, 2010. The United States Postal Service operates the Port Arthur Post Office,"Post Office Location - PORT ARTHUR." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008. the Port Acres Post Office,"Post Office Location - PORT ACRES." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008. and the Sabine Pass Post Office in Sabine Pass."Post Office Location - SABINE PASS." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on August 22, 2010. Education Primary and secondary schools Most of the City of Port Arthur is served by the Port Arthur Independent School District. The portion around Southeast Texas Regional Airport is served by the Nederland Independent School District. The Sabine Pass community is served by the Sabine Pass Independent School District. The Bob Hope Charter School is located in Port Arthur.Pastorella, Cody. "New PA Charter School provides Hope to area students." The Port Arthur News. September 20, 2010. Retrieved on September 23, 2010. Colleges Lamar State College–Port Arthur, located in downtown Port Arthur; celebrated its 100th birthday in 2009. Offering a full variety of basic core curriculum classes that are transferrable throughout Texas public universities, Lamar State College is recognized for associate programs in Commercial Music, Nursing, Legal Assistant and Process technology. Lamar State College also fields competitive teams in Men's Basketball and Women's Softball. The section of Port Arthur within the Sabine Pass School District is assigned to Galveston College in Galveston.Texas Education Code, Section 130.179, "Galveston College District Service Area". Public libraries The Port Arthur Public Library, at 4615 9th Avenue at Texas State Highway 73, serves as the public library system for the city.http://www.pap.lib.tx.us/ Infrastructure Transportation Air The Southeast Texas Regional Airport in Port Arthur serves Beaumont and Port Arthur. Bus Local bus service is provided by Port Arthur Transit. Tropical cyclones that have affected Port Arthur ]] Hurricane Betsy In August 1965's Hurricane Betsy, Port Arthur sustained very little damage. The city was in one of the weak spots of the hurricane. Winds only reached . Tides reached above sea level. A mere of rain was recorded. Port Arthur was the only area in Texas to be damaged. Hurricane Rita In September 2005's Hurricane Rita, Port Arthur sustained major wind damage and some flooding. Hurricane Humberto Struck in the early hours of September 13, 2007. It formed in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico and intensified faster than any other tropical cyclone on record before making landfall at High Island, Texas. The path of the eye continued northeastward and passed over Port Arthur, Nederland, Port Neches, Groves, and Bridge City, Texas at Category 1 hurricane strength. This was the second time within two years (following Hurricane Rita on September 24, 2005) that these cities experienced a direct hit from a hurricane. Hurricane Hunters reported sustained winds of about two hours after landfall. However, post-storm analysis later determined that the winds were a bit stronger—about . Tropical Storm Edouard On the morning of August 5, 2008, Port Arthur saw the effects of Tropical Storm Edouard. The tropical storm made landfall to the west of the city, and wind speeds of were recorded.Port Arthur,Texas Hurricanes Hurricane Ike In September 2008, Port Arthur again sustained major wind damage, with several areas experiencing major flooding. Ike made its final landfall near Galveston, Texas as a strong Category 2 hurricane, with Category 4 equivalent storm surge, on Sept. 13, 2008, at 2:10 a.m. CDT. Hurricane-force winds extended from the center. Due to its immense size, Ike caused devastation from the Louisiana coastline all the way to the Kennedy County, Texas region near Corpus Christi, Texas. The hurricane also resulted in the largest evacuation of Texans in that state's history. It became the largest search-and-rescue operation in U.S. history. The seawall of Port Arthur protected the city from the storm surge that devastated surrounding communities such as Bridge City, but water did flow over the top of the seawall for about 30 minutes, flooding some of homes along its length with over a foot of water. Notable people * Lucian Adams, recipient of the Medal of Honor, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart. * Jonathan Babineaux, professional football player. * G. W. Bailey, actor. * Zachary Breaux, jazz musician. * Jamal Charles, professional football player. * C.J. Chenier, musician. * Ted Dunbar, jazz musician. * Kevin Everett, professional football player. * Mitch Gaspard, college baseball coach. * Danny Gorrer, professional football player. * Kree Harrison, runner-up on American Idol, 12th season. * Lee Hazelwood, musician; raised in Port Arthur. * Jim Hurtubise, race car driver; moved to Port Arthur as an adult. * Jimmy Johnson, football broadcaster, player, coach, and executive. * Janis Joplin, singer/songwriter. * Evelyn Keyes, actress. * Bobby Leopold, professional football player. * Donald Narcisse, player in Canadian Football League. * Rappers Pimp C & Bun B of UGK. * Robert Rauschenberg, painter and graphic artist. * Raymond Strother, political consultant. * Ken Webster, theatre director. * Stephen Jackson, professional basketball player. References External links * City of Port Arthur, Texas * Historic Article on Port Arthur (WWII) * Lots of historical Port Arthur photos * Port Arthur, TX at City-Data.com Category:Cities in Jefferson County, Texas Category:Cities in Texas Category:Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area Category:Port cities and towns of the United States Gulf Coast Category:Port Arthur, Texas Category:Ports of the Gulf of Mexico